1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trash can. More particularly, the present invention relates to a compartmentalized trash can for sorting and storing different kinds of recyclables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Considering the rapidly deteriorating ecological conditions due to waste incineration, underground water contamination from garbage landfills and ocean dumping, there is obviously a serious waste management problem.
A large portion of trash can be reclaimed, recycled, and resold. Traditionally, waste containers have not been designed to facilitate the source separation required for highly effective recycling programs to be successful, nor have they incorporated the convenience required to encourage wide spread, willing participation.
Numerous innovations for containers have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,853 to Strawder teaches a trash can that has a rim at its upper end. A divider, made up of a plurality of arms, cooperates with the rim to form a plurality of open spaces at the top of the can. The arms of the divider are supported by sockets mounted on the rim. Plastic trash bags hang below the open spaces. The bags are supported by projections or hooks on the divider and on the rim of the can. A cover or lid for the trash can has a generally vertical sidewall having a door above each trash bag.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,740 to Koda teaches a wastebasket which includes a container, a lid pivotably mounted to the container, by a hinge, a foot-operated actuating mechanism for opening and closing the lid, and a projection extending from the bottom of the lid to prevent a trash liner secured to the container from interfering with either the hinge or the actuating mechanism. The projection also protects the actuating mechanism from becoming soiled and the lid from bouncing excessively when the lid is opened with too much force.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,746 to Dickenson teaches a waste separation container that selectively separates and stores waste material that includes a receptacle with an upper edge with slits in it opening upwardly to receive and hold a plurality of thin plastic bags in an open position. The slits are preferably defined by flexible lobes, contiguous one another and extending along the upper edge of the receptacle. Preferably, a closure for the receptacle is provided that has specifically designated through apertures that allow for discernable placement of recyclable material in a correspondingly appropriate compartment or bag. The provision of strips of flexible material with lobes defining between them bag-retaining slits, either to be mounted on existing containers, on partitions for existing containers or holders to be placed in existing containers permits retro-fitting of existing waste receptacles to accomplish the object of making easy the segregation of waste as it is generated.
FINALLY, YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,958 to Gabert et al. teaches a sort and cycle bin for waste materials which consists of a receptacle having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a pair of side walls with a plurality of horizontally oriented and vertically spaced apart compartments. Indicia is associated with the compartments, for visually indicating the type of waste material to be placed in each compartment. A removable container is to be placed into each compartment for receiving one type of waste material that will be placed therein. A mechanism is for suspending each of the removable containers within each of the compartments. Each of the different waste materials can be placed into each of the removable containers and then be removed to facilitate its transportation to a recycling facility. A lid is hinged to a top edge of the rear wall of the receptacle, so that when the lid is placed in a closed position it will cover the compartments.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for containers have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a compartmentalized trash can for sorting and storing different kinds of recyclables that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a compartmentalized trash can for sorting and storing different kinds of recyclables that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a compartmentalized trash can for sorting and storing different kinds of recyclables that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a compartmentalized trash can for sorting and storing different kinds of recyclables. A plurality of partitions are disposed in, and divide, a container into a plurality of sub-chambers. A lid is hingedly attached to, and selectively opens and closes the container. An apparatus opens the lid by use of a foot of a user. A liner bag removably lines the container and is defined by a peripheral flange, and includes a plurality of sub-liner bags that are formed together as one piece, with each sub-liner bag lining an associated sub-chamber. Each sub-liner bag is defined by a flange. The flanges of adjacent sub-liner bags are common, and solely by themselves, without any other attachments, hold the plurality of sub-liner bags to each other. The flanges of the plurality of sub-liner bags are divided lengthwise by perforations. When the plurality of sub-liner bags are inserted into associated sub-chambers, and the peripheral flange of the liner bag rests on the container, and the flanges of the plurality of sub-liner bags rest on the plurality of partitions, and the plurality of sub-liner bags become filled with the different kinds of recyclable, then the perforations in the plurality of sub-liner bags are severed, separating them from each other for independent removable, closing, and processing. A hoop removably secures the peripheral flange of the liner bag onto the container, prior to removal thereof.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.